Well, the shark cull has not only begun, but the first shark has been caught and destroyed. A three metre tiger shark was caught on a baited line off of Meelup Beach, Dunsborough, Western Australia. The shark was shot four times and taken further out to sea and dumped, this is the dumbest option as the sharks should be loaded aboard the boat, brought ashore and examined by scientists for research purposes. This is in my opinion, a short sighted and ill conceived government policy - an alternative is research, selective shark screening on beaches and shark tagging.
For a number of years, shark spotting planes have flown over Perth beaches during the summer months in a bid to identify sharks approaching, the water is cleared of swimmers and surfers until the shark leaves the area. Electronic buoys have been deployed where tagged sharks approaching the vicinity register on the system and once again, swimmers and surfers can take a rest on the beach until the shark leaves the area.
Shark culling is a populist option that gives the public the appearance that the problem is being addressed. The community opinion, seen through my eyes is anti-culling but I am sure there is also community support - seen mostly through the surfing fraternity that sharks are killers and murders of the ocean and must be eradicated. They see shark numbers sky rocketing and a danger to all water users lobbying government in an emotive manner, the local Perth media play on this illogical fear in a brazen manner to enrich their own news coverage increasing advertising revenue in the process.
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